MASONENDSWHIPPING, OTHERNOTES

Notes, quotes and random thoughts while cleaning out the notebooks to close the door on the 1994 Kansas football season. ...

Glen Mason's self-flagellation period is over. He has kicked himself enough over the Jayhawks' disappointing 6-5 season.

"You can only beat yourself up so long," Mason said. "I don't want to be sadistic to myself. You're always going to make mistakes. You just try not to make the same mistakes over and over and over.

"You know, statistically speaking, we were a good team. We were third in the league in rushing -- third. Our turnover ratio, our scoring offense are pretty good. You look at the stats and we look more like a 9-2 or an 8-3 team. For people to say we've gone back to the level we were at in 1988 is ridiculous."

Why Adamle? -- Of all the moves Mason will make within his coaching staff, one of the most unusual is running backs coach Vic Adamle's shift to receivers.

After all, the running back position has been one of the most solid over the last few years.

"I thought we needed a change," Mason said. "I think Vic Adamle will do a fine job with the receivers."

Recruiting under way -- Mason has 25 scholarships to give and said he hoped to fill them all.

Mason's task is made difficult by the fact that Kansas is a lightly populated state. Neither Mason nor K-State's Bill Snyder can cruise around the Sunflower State and fill the roster with true Division One-caliber athletes.

"There just aren't a lot of them out there," Mason said. "Some people can go out and get 15, 18 kids from their own state. That's not the case here. How many Division One football players came out of Kansas last year? A dozen?"

Mason said he hasn't targeted a specific position to load up on this year, but he will pursue quarterbacks from both the junior college and high school ranks.

"We've got enough scholarships we can go across the board," he said. "This is our second year of emphasis on defensive linemen, but those guys are hard to find."

Mason said he hadn't landed any commitments yet. The official football signing day is Feb. 1.

Homegrown -- Curious about the state's best high school talent? This year's top prospect is Coffeyville's Mondriel Fulcher, a defensive back-quarterback who is being wooed by Notre Dame, Miami, Michigan and Tennessee. Fulcher already made an unofficial visit to KU, but don't expect him to consider the Jayhawks unless all the others fall through.